The telephone is an integral part of our daily life. Most people consider it to be one of the most useful elements that make it convenient for living.
Since a telephone provides such an important communication link for us, continual efforts have been made to add efficiency and comfort as well as to eliminate any difficulties related with its use. With that object, telephones, generally categorized as wall, desk, or combination wall-desk types, available with one or more of the following features (options), are well known and in common use: Rotary Dialing, Touch Tone Dialing; Tone-Pulse Dialing; Ringer Control, on-off or flashing light; Adjustable Receiver Volume; Mute; Lighted Dial or Touch Pads; Dialed-Number Display; Redial (last number automatically dialed); Memory Dialing; Hold; Speaker Phone; Cordless Phone; Call Timer; and Multi-line Telephone.
The need for one or more of the above mentioned options depends on whether the telephone is for home, business or personal use and on customer preference.
Many times, where more than one telephone instrument is (or can be) connected to a single line, the telephone user experiences a problem because of the following reasons:
1. A child picks up a handset from another telephone instrument and interrupts the conversation. This generally occurs in the following cases: PA0 2. A child or a pet accidentally knocks the handset from its cradle while another telephone is in use; then all the noises generated in the room by children, pets, toys, radio and TV start annoying the person(s) on the phone. PA0 3. Sometimes the sound level significantly drops when a second handset is lifted. PA0 4. Another person intentionally picks up a second handset for the purpose of eavesdropping.
(a) as the phone rings the child rushes to answer the phone, picks up any handset accessible and starts talking/listening; PA1 (b) a child hears someone nearby talking on the phone--even though the ringer may have been off--and reaches for the extension phone.
In all the above mentioned situations, the telephone user has to ask, shout or yell at another person to ensure that the handset is replaced in its cradle and remains there for the rest of the conversation. The problem continues to annoy the telephone user when the child replaces the handset incorrectly.
Alternately, the user has to interrupt the conversation, go to retrieve the handset, restore it to its proper position and resume the conversation, but there is still no guarantee or means to avoid recurrence of the nuisance.
The more important the conversation, the more upsetting, frustrating, and even embarrassing it becomes for the user. This also results in an expensive waste of time.
Many times the phone user would like to ensure that no other person, intentionally or unintentionally, will be able to listen from another telephone.
The above mentioned problem has to be avoided. With that and additional advantages in view, applicants have made the present invention.